These wooden shutters were original to the 1860 renovation when the first floor was enlarged. Oh, the craftsmanship. Both then, and now. Thanks to the dedication of Jason Hanley and his team who rehinged the shutters, repainted and rehung them, they now fold perfectly into the wall just like they did when Governor Holley and Sarah Coit Day turned in for the night.

Friend from Boston, Steve Atlas, surveys progress in living room, next to flowers from Rob and Ellen's garden.

The bones of the house are so good, we're spared from having to make structural changes. In fact, this renovation will be nothing compared to what took place in 1857. When the house was first built, this spiral staircase at the rear of the center hall was in the front hall. A few years later, it was moved to the back of the house. Why? Alexander Holley had just been elected Governor, and his new bride (third wife) Sarah Coit Day, foresaw a long public life. Undismayed by formidable problems, she moved the stairs to make the entrance more suitable to large receptions she felt would be required by her husband's position.

See the tiny corner sink on the floor at the bottom of the mahogany banister? One advantage of working with a contractor who specializes in old houses is he collects vintage booty you can't buy anymore. "This is perfect for the little powder room under the stairwell," he said. And it was.

who we are

We are a couple of Upper West Siders from NYC who never set out to buy an old mansion in Connecticut. But the moment we walked through its massive front door, we were smitten. The info on this site is earnestly cobbled from a variety of sources, including the web. Please let us know if we've gotten something wrong, or if there's a story about Holleywood you'd like to share.